Symbolism and Allegory

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Symbolism and Allegory

• Layers of Meaning

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What are Symbols?

• A symbol is often an ordinary object, event,
  person, or animal to which we have attached
  extraordinary meaning and significance.

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We use a rectangle of dyed cloth to symbolize a
country.
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• We use a picture of a skull and crossbones to
  symbolize poison or danger.

• We send red roses as a symbol of love.

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Where do symbols come from?

• Symbols can be inherited or invented
• The most familiar symbols have been inherited,
  meaning, they have been handed down over time

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Public and Inherited Symbols

• For example, no one really knows who first
  thought of using a lion as a symbol of power,
  courage and domination.
• Once these qualities were associated with the
  animal, images of lions appeared on flags,
  banners, coats of arms and castle walls

• The lion became a public symbol that still shows
  up in art and literature today.

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People through out history have endowed ordinary
objects with meanings far beyond their simple
meaning.
A crown symbolizes royalty.
Five linked rings symbolize the Olympics.
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Invented Symbols

• Writers often take a new object, character, or
  event and make it the embodiment of some human
  concern.
• Some invented symbols in literature have become
  so widely known that they often have gained the
  status of public symbols.

For example, Peter Pan is a symbol for eternal
childhood.
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Why Create Symbols?

• You may ask why writers dont just come right
  out and say what they mean.
• Symbols allow writers to suggest layers and
  layers of meaning - possibilities that a simple,
  literal statement could never convey.
• A symbol is like a pebble cast into a pond It
  sends out ever widening ripples of meaning

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How do I know if something in literature is a
symbol?

• Repeat appearances
• Seems to be connected with a character or event
• Author spends long time on description

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Allegory Split Level Stories

• An allegory is a story in which characters,
  settings and actions stand for something beyond
  themselves.
• In some types of allegories, the characters and
  setting represent abstract ideas of moral
  qualities.
• In other types, characters and situations stand
  for historical figures and events.

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• An allegory can be read on one level for its
  literal or straightforward meaning
• And on a second level for its symbolic, or
  allegorical, meaning.
• Allegories are often intended to teach a moral
  lesson or to make a comment about goodness and
  vice.

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One Example of an Allegory
This picture contains a serpent (snake) and an
apple. What are some things that come to mind
when you see this image?
Often times, a serpent or snake is used to
symbolize temptation or trouble. This allegory
stems from its biblical reference. What does the
apple stand for?
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Symbolism vs. Allegory

• A symbol is a word, place, character, or object
  that means something beyond what it is on a
  literal level.
• An allegory involves using many interconnected
  symbols or allegorical figures in such as way
  that in nearly every element of the narrative has
  a meaning beyond the literal level, i.e.,
  everything in the narrative is a symbol that
  relates to other symbols within the story.